Stop making excuses!

Something someone said the other day really bugged me; “I’d love to save money, I just never have any left at the end of the month” and It got me thinking. Thinking about the way that a lot of people live their lives, their priorities, their actions and ultimately their choices.

Now I’m not out to upset any body here and there are no black and white answers for these things but to me when it comes to being able to afford something, be it a new phone, a holiday, a deposit for a house, it all comes down to you and the choices you make.

With the UK average salary of around £27,600, where you live will have a huge impact on whether or not you have to scrape to get by or if you have the luxury of going out for a nice dinner every week. What I’m getting at is that there are so many variables and I can only speak from my own experience; where I live, what I earn, my lack of children and my priorities.

Everyone is different, some don’t like to be tied down, they want to travel 10 times a year others want to be more settled. I’d say I’m more of the latter, don’t get me wrong I enjoy going on holiday and experiencing new places but I absolutely love having a home of my own. I’ve always wanted to buy my own place, so when I moved back to Edinburgh, I chose to move back in with my parents so that I could save for my own mortgage instead of paying someone else’s.

See a choice!

I haven’t booked a holiday yet this year – I knew buying meant there was a high chance I wasn’t going to get away (although I’m still hoping for a week in Italy in September). I have just had to buy a new oven, I have a bathroom to renovate and I could also do with upgrading my phone. More choices!

The way I see it is I either need to prioritise or get into debt, and that just isn’t an option for me. I’ve been brought up to only buy what I can afford but at the same time if I really want that new phone, go get it (just save the money first). Maybe it’s just me but the excuses annoy me;

“I won’t make it to dinner tonight, I’m skint” says the person who just spent £300 on a handbag

“I’d love to move out of my parents’ house but I can’t afford to rent” after my £500 shopping spree every payday

“I really want to go on holiday but I just don’t have the £200 for flights” but I’ve been out drinking every weekend

“I just can’t save a deposit” but I will go out to eat 3 times a week.

As I’ve already said its about priorities; if you’d rather buy a new bag, eat out or drink often instead of saving for something else you’d like then go you! it’s your choice. All I’m saying is do not complain you can’t do something when the reality is that with a couple of compromises you probably could!